For a product to carry either Certification Marks, it must come from FLO-CERT inspected and certified producer organizations. The crops must be grown and harvested in accordance with the International Fairtrade standards set by FLO International. The supply chain is also monitored by FLO-CERT to ensure the integrity of labelled products. Only Fair Trade USA or Fairtrade Canada (formerly "TransFair USA" and "TransFair Canada," respectively) licensees can use the Fair Trade Certified Mark on their products, however a gradual phase-out of this mark began in Canada in 2011.

In 2010, Canada began actively promoting both the Fair Trade Certified Mark and the International Fairtrade Certification Mark as part of a transition process towards the latter, which became the primary Fairtrade Certification Mark in 2011.

In 2012 a variation of the US Fair Trade certification mark was adopted with the benefit of being registered globally as a trade mark. The mark is designed to pop better on the shelf through a far simpler design and the use of color. The one basket with outstretched hands indicates sharing and a "give and take" between producers and purchases. The green signals the environmental strength of Fair Trade.[1]